Something's Gotta Give
by love and stuff
Summary: Lily and James' 7th year with some laughs and romance along the way. This is my first fanfic, so I hope you enjoy. SiriusXOC, RemusXOC. R&R please!
1. Oh Joy

**a/n: hello everyone! This is my first fanfic, so I really hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: nothing belongs to me, so please don't sue me. I'm a poor college student and have nothing to give you.**

Chapter 1

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Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep…

_Ugh. _I rolled over, resisted the urge to throw my alarm clock against the wall on the other side of the room, and turned off the alarm.

_9:00 am. Time to get up. Oh joy._

_Just five more minutes. No one will know the difference…_

"Lily! Are you up?"

_Damn_. "Yes, Mum."

"Hurry, we have to leave in forty-five minutes."

"Okay." _I can't wait. Please, someone, anyone, just kill me right now and put me out of my misery._

_Petunia doesn't even like me. Why do I have to go wedding dress shopping with them again? Oh that's right. I'm her sister and it will be a good "bonding experience". Psh. Whatever. She's only going to complain about my presence the entire time. Although, I do give my mother props for trying to make her two daughters get along. Alas, it was not meant to be._

Reluctantly, I got out of bed and quickly showered and dressed before going down for breakfast.

"Good morning, Daddy. Morning, Mum," I said, kissing both of them on the cheek.

"Morning, Sweetie."

"Petunia," I half-heartedly greeted her.

She just looked at me and mumbled something along the lines of 'freak' under her breath.

_Honestly, that insult was getting really old. If she was going to constantly insult me, you think that she would at least be able to come up with something new every now and then. Oh, how silly of me to forget. This is Petunia we're talking about. I don't think a creative bone exists in her body._

_I simply shrugged and walked to the fridge to get some orange juice. I stopped caring a long time ago what Petunia thought of me. Secretly, I think she is just jealous about the whole magic thing. Not that she would ever admit it._

"Lily, we're going to have you fitted for your dress as well, since you'll be leaving for school in a couple of weeks."

"Alright."

_Petunia proceeded to glare at me some more. What else was new? It was clear that she didn't want me to be there. At all._

_Oh boy. This was going to be a long day._

_Six hours, several arguments, and nearly all the boutiques in London later, Petunia had finally found "The Dress". Thank God. We had argued almost all afternoon about my dress. She wanted me to wear pink, knowing fully well that detest the color and it clashes my red hair. I wanted green because it's my favorite color, and not to boast, but I look fabulous in it. (It accentuates my eyes.) In the end, much to Petunia's despair, I had won the battle. SCORE! We had found a very simple, but elegant green gown that I would wear for the ceremony. After all I deserved that small victory after I had to listen to her complain about just about every dress she tried on ("This one's too fluffy and this one makes me look fat", on and on and on) and having to hear about how wonderful and loving pig of a fiancé, Vernon, was. Psh. Lies, all of them. I honestly can't stand that bore of a man. If I ever hear the words wedding gown or Vernon Dursley ever again, I might implode._

"Thatcher, we're home."

"Hi, Rene" he said kissing Mum when he walked into the kitchen. Hi girls."

"Hi, Daddy."

"Petunia, Vernon called. He's coming over for dinner tonight."

_Oh joy. Imploding in 5…4…3…2…1… BOOM! I had to get out of here._

"I'm exhausted. I'm going upstairs for a little bit to rest." I told my parents.

"Okay, Sweetie. I'll call you down to help me with dinner in a while.

"Alright Mum."

_I dragged myself upstairs to my room. Oh great, another meal with that would consist of talking about drills, Vernon, drills, Vernon, oh and did I mention drills? I think you get the drift. That's literally the only things that Vernon Dursley talks about; drills and himself. Let me tell you it makes a great conversation. NOT!_

_I walked to the corner of my room and picked up the acoustic guitar, which I had inherited from my granddad when he passed away a couple years, sat on my bed, and began to strum a few chords._

_Granddad's guitar is my most prized possession. I have an electric one too, that I love, but it doesn't have the same sentimental value as Granddads. I have been playing the guitar since I was seven years old and he was my teacher. Playing the guitar is a passion of mine, but, in truth, not many people, besides my family and three best friends in the world, know of this secret passion. I'm not one for public performances._

_My three best friends Kelly Chase, Alyssa McCourt, and Adriana Sotelo all played an instrument as well. We met on the Hogwarts Express first year and became fast friends and once we all figured out that we all played and instrument, our friendship became even stronger. Alyssa plays the drums, Adriana-keyboard, and Kelly plays the guitar as well. We all loved playing together in our dorm at Hogwarts. We had some crazy connection when it came to music. No matter how long it had been since we last played together, whenever we did play, we were in perfect harmony. It had been like that since the first time we had ever played together and I loved it._

_I smiled as I leaned against my headboard, thinking of my friends. God, I missed them so much. Only two weeks until it would be time to go back to Hogwarts. I absentmindedly changed the tone of my strumming and started to play one of my favorite songs._

_As I finished my song, I heard a tapping at my window and went to see what it was. There was a handsome barn owl outside my window. I opened the window and took the envelope from its beak, noticing that it was my usual school letter. As I opened the letter something fell out onto my comforter. I looked back at the letter I was holding in my hand._

Dear Miss Evans,

I am pleased to inform you that you have been chosen as this year's Head Girl.

Your duties include organizing Prefect meetings, helping out your fellow students, and planning special events, among other things.

Please report to the Head's compartment by 11:30 on September 1st to meet with the Head Boy and the first prefects' meeting will begin at 11:45.

Enjoy the remainder of your holiday!

_Minerva McGonagall_

Deputy Headmistress

_Albus Dumbledore_

Headmaster

I was now grinning broadly (probably looking like a madwoman, I might add), briefly wondering who the Head Boy could be, but quickly pushed it to the back of my mind to think about more at a later time.

I grabbed my badge and quickly ran down the stairs.

"Mum! Dad! Mum! Dad!"

I almost ran into Dad as I ran through the kitchen door.

"Whoa. Slow down there, kiddo. What's wrong?" Dad asked.

"Guess what. Guess what!"

"What?" They both asked.

"I made Head Girl! They picked me!"

"That's wonderful, Sweetheart. I'm so proud of you."

As Dad gave me a hug, Mum came over and gave me one, as well.

I smiled at both of them.

"I'm going to write Kelly, Alyssa, and Adriana, and then I'll come help you with dinner, Mum."

"Okay, Sweetie. Just hurry. I need help with the apple pie."

"Alright."

I went back upstairs and sat at my desk and pulled out some pieces of parchment and a quill.

I addressed the first one to Kelly.

Hey Kelly!

How are you? I miss you and the girls so much. I can't wait for school to start so I can see you all. I had the pleasure of being dragged all over London to just about every single, last boutique, until Petunia decided that she liked the very first dress that she tried on! Oh Dear God. I thought I would actually die! Promise to slap me if I'm EVER that difficult when I get married. Anyway, enough about me. How's Italy? I'm so jealous. You're going to have to tell me all about it on the train. Well, I still need to write Adriana and Alyssa and go help mum with dinner (Vernon's coming. Oh boy! NOT!), so this is where I leave you. But, before I do, I'll tell you the real reason I'm writing. I got my Hogwarts letter earlier and guess what else was in the envelope, along with my normal letter. The Head Girl badge! I MADE HEAD GIRL! I was so shocked. I wonder who the Head Boy will be. Ooh! Maybe it will be that cute, perfect, Mark, from Ravenclaw. One can only hope. Well, I must dash. See you on the first!

Love you!

Lily

I quickly wrote similar letters to Alyssa and Adriana, asking Alyssa how her country home was and asking Adriana how Mexico and her cousin's quinciñera were.

I addressed each letter and called over my owl that was currently resting on the top of the dresser.

"Tess, come here sweetie."

She obediently flew over and landed on my knee. I tied the three scrolls to her leg and told her to take them to Kelly, Alyssa, and Adriana, and sent her on her way.

With that I got up and walked downstairs to help Mum with dinner_._

**a/n: I hope you all enjoyed! Please, please, please review. I'll love you forever and ever. I'm open to constructive criticism, just don't be too mean. Haha. Also, I'm looking for a beta, so, if you think my story's any good and you want to help me out, let me know.**

**Until next time,**

**Love and Stuff **


	2. The Twilight Zone

**A/N: I'm so sorry. I know it's been ages since I last posted. To make it up to you though, I have written an 18 page chapter. So generous of me, I know. Haha.**

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to **_**are you human**_** who was kind enough to give me my first review, as well as, **_**AnAbundanceOf**_**, who was awesome enough to put my story on alert. Thank you, guys. This chapter is for you.**

**Enough of my incessant rambling. On with the story. Enjoy!**

**Oh, and by the way, I own nothing. Now you may enjoy.**

Chapter 2

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I awoke at the sound of my alarm clock and rolled over to turn it off.

6:30. Someone remind me again why I am up at this ungodly hour of the morning. Oh, right. September 1st. School.

The train doesn't leave until 11:00, but being the procrastinator that I am, I waited till yesterday to start packing and then it got late and then I got tired and went to sleep. Now I'm stuck waking up way to early for my liking to finish packing. And they chose me as Head Girl. What were they thinking?

I dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom to take a shower. Twenty minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom feeling slightly more awake. I pulled a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt out of my drawer and threw them on for the time being and started to tedious task of packing my trunk.

At 8:00 after sitting on the lid of my trunk and just barely getting it to shut, I picked up the frayed blue jean mini skirt and Beatles shirt that I set aside earlier and went to my closet to change. I put on my Converse and laced them up. I straightened my now dry hair, which fell about half way down my back, put on a little make-up and went downstairs for breakfast.

When I walked into the kitchen my mum was looking at the stove and dad was at the kitchen table reading the newspaper.

I walked over to my father and kissed him on the cheek.

"Morning, Daddy. Did you sleep alright?"

"Hi, sweetie. Yes, I slept just fine, thanks."

"Hi Mum. How are you?"

"Just fine, dear," she said smiling at me. "Did you finish packing, Honey?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Alright, well, we need to leave in about an hour in order to make it to the station on time. Would you like some chocolate chip pancakes?"

Mmmmm… My favorite. "Do you even need to ask?"

She laughed softly and put a few on a plate and handed them to me.

I sat down and started to devour my pancakes.Nothing comes between me and my chocolate chip pancakes.

Anyway…

"Is Petunia coming to the station?"

My parents glanced at each other and then Mum cleared her throat and said,"Well, Sweetie, she has to go with Vernon and his parents to work out some wedding details, so she's not going to be able to make it."

I just shrugged and went back to eating my pancakes. Honestly, they act like it bothers me. I suppose the fact that my sister hates me used to upset me, but I've just grown accustomed to it.

At 9:45, I put Tess in her cage and dragged her and my trunk down the stairs and out to the car and we were off to King Cross Station.

We made it there in record time, arriving at about 10:15.

I stopped at the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, and turned to my parents.

I gave each of them a big hug."I'm going to miss both of you so much."

"Oh please, you'll be fine," Dad said jokingly.

I kissed both of them on the cheek_._ "Okay, well, I need to go get on the train. Goodbye. I love you both so much."

"Bye, Sweetie. We love you, too."

"Bye, Honey. Make us proud."

"Bye, guys. I will and try not to go too crazy with all the wedding plans and whatever you do, do not, under any circumstances, let Petunia change my dress to pink. Please."

Mum laughed. "I can't make any promises about not going crazy, but I will do anything in my power to keep the green dress."

"Thanks, Mum." With that, I turned around and walked through the barrier to platform 9 ¾.

I pushed my trolley through the small crowd that had already formed on the platform and started looking for my friends.

"LILY! LILY!"

I turned around to find one of my best friends running towards me.

"KELLY!" _I said as she ran up and gave me a big hug._

She smiled,"Hey, Lily. I missed you so much. Did you survive with the muggles?"

"I missed you, too. Mum and Dad were fine, but, I swear, Petunia get worse and worse everyday."

Kelly nodded in understanding.

"So, have you been here long?"

"About thirty minutes. Mum and Dad had a flight to catch to Italy. They have to do a walk through of some hotel they're working on."

"Oh, cool." Kelly's parents own their own company.Her dad is an architect and her mum is an interior designer. I got to see one of the hotels they worked on once, when they invited the girls and I to stay at one with them. It was absolutely beautiful.

"Have you seen Alyssa or Adriana?"

"No. Not ye—," Before she could finish, we heard someone else yelling our names.

"KELLY! LILY! Wait up!"

It was Adriana, number three of our quartet.

"Hola, chicas. How was your summer?"

"Fantastic."

"Pretty good."

Adriana was originally from Mexico, but moved to England when she was five.

We all hugged each other and looked around for the last member of our group.

"ALYSSA! Over here!" Adriana was the first to spot her.

She pushed her trolley towards us. "Adriana, Kelly, Lily, darlings. It's been so long. How have you been?"

We all laughed at her Audrey Hepburn impression, as she hugged each of us in turn.

Alyssa is from a pureblood family and has been obsessed with Audrey Hepburn since seeing Breakfast at Tiffany's at a sleepover. Kelly and I are both muggleborns and we found out early in our friendship, that we both loved Breakfast at Tiffany's. While I'm explaining everyone's backgrounds, I suppose I should explain Adriana's, as well. She's a half-blood: her mum's a witch and her dad's a muggle. Anyway… enough about lineage and Audrey Hepburn obsessions; the girls and I have a train to catch.

"Girls, as much as I hate to break up this joyous reunion, the train leaves in ten minutes. We should probably get on," I told them.

"And?" Adriana asked.

"Oh, come on."

With that, we boarded the train.

"Let me just put my stuff in the Heads' compartment and I'll help you guys find a compartment."

"Oh my gosh, Lily as Head Girl. Will she have time for us mere mortals?" Alyssa asked sarcastically.

"Hmm. I just don't know," I replied just as sarcastically. "Now, come along, slaves," I said with a laugh.

We finally found a compartment and spent a few minutes catching up on our summers.

"Alright, girls, I need to go meet the Head Boy and get together some things for the prefect meeting."

"Okay. Did you ever find out who the Head Boy was?" Kelly asked.

"No, but cross your fingers for me that it's Mark."

"Will do."

When I got to the compartment, the Head Boy wasn't there yet, but he still had about ten minutes before he had to be here.

I walked over to my trunk and took out granddad's guitar, which I had shrunk earlier to fit in my trunk, along with my electric guitar and all my other stuff.

I looked around the compartment in awe. Not to be cliché, but it was breath taking. It was full of big fluffy chairs and sofas. There was a big round conference table in the middle and a desk off to the side, underneath the window. Both were made of a deep colored cherry wood. On the other side of the room there was a small table with snacks on it.

I walked over to one of the big sofas and sat down, tucking my legs underneath me. I had some time to waste before the Head Boy arrived, so I began to play my guitar to pass the time.

_I'm wide awake and so alive  
Ringing like a bell  
Tell me this is paradise  
And not someplace I fell  
'Cause I keep on fallin' down_

I wanna feel the car crash  
I wanna feel the capsize  
I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop  
'Til I'm satisfied  
I wanna feel the car crash  
'Cause I'm dyin' on the inside  
I wanna let go and know  
That I'll be alright, alright

Just push me 'til I have to fly  
I've shed my skin, my scars  
Take me deep out past the lights  
Where nothing dims these stars  
Nothing dims these stars

I wanna feel the car crash  
I wanna feel the capsize  
I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop  
'Til I'm satisfied  
I wanna feel the car crash  
'Cause I'm dyin' on the inside  
I wanna let go and know  
That I'll be alright, alright

So right  
It's all wrong

I'm wide awake and so alive

I wanna feel the car crash  
I wanna feel the capsize  
I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop  
'Til I'm satisfied  
I wanna feel the car crash  
'Cause I'm dyin' on the inside  
I wanna let go and know  
That I'll be alright, alright

(A/N: Car Crash belongs to the wonderful, talented, insanely awesome Matt Nathanson. Not me…sad day)

"Wow Lily. I'm impressed."

I turned, startled, to see James Potter leaning casually against the doorway with his arms folded in front of him. He was wearing a loose fitting pair of jeans and an oxford with the sleeves rolled up some. And did he look beautiful. WAIT. Back up. I didn't just think that to myself did I? No, there's no way. I was momentarily delusional; that's all. He just caught me off guard. I'm rambling aren't I?

"What are you doing here, Potter?" I snapped.

"Well, Lily Dearest, I'm Head Boy."

"Oh God, save us all." Maybe Dumbledore has officially gone mad.

He laughed. "Well, you took it much better than Sirius. I told him and all he said was, 'Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?' Didn't speak to me for three days," he added thoughtfully.

I just stupidly stared at him, still in complete shock. I'm sure I look like a complete nutter.

"Well, Lily, I do believe that we have a prefects meeting to conduct."

And another thing…since when does he call me Lily? It's always been Evans. This is all just too weird. Maybe I haven't woken up yet. Yes, that must be it. I'm still in my bed at home. I'll wake up, get to King's Cross and be greeted by another Head Boy and James Potter will still be a prat. I'm rambling again…

"Lily…"

"Huh?"

"Are you ready?"

I shook my head "Alright, will you get those stacks of paper on the desk? There should be a set for each house," I said as I put Granddad's guitar back in the case.

He picked up the stacks of paper from the desk and when I turned around, he was standing by the door to the prefects' compartment waiting for me. He looked me up and down, not really hiding the fact, and I was suddenly aware of how short my skirt was and the inch of my stomach showing. And then do you know what I did? I blushed! I know, right. Since when do I blush in front of that arrogant prat known as Potter? New theory: I am not dreaming. I have clearly fallen into the twilight zone. It's the only plausible explanation.

I cleared my throat, hoping to take some of his attention off of me and even added in a glare, for good measure.

He seemed unphased. Note to self: work on glare.

"Where did you learn to play like that?"

Well that was completely random and unexpected.

"My Granddad taught me."

He nodded and left it at that, as we headed into the prefects' compartment.

"Okay. I thought one of us could talk about their duties and the other could talk about passwords and then if there was anything else you wanted to add, we can talk about that as well."

My jaw mentally dropped and hit the floor. Potter being mature and responsible? I honestly don't know how much more of this I can take. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I have somehow gone and landed myself in the Twilight Zone.

"Um. I suppose that I'll talk about duties and just add in what is expected of them behavior wise and such."

"Meaning I'll be covering passwords. Sounds good."

"Why don't we make out a list of passwords while the prefects start to come in?"

He nodded as I sat down and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. He was standing next to me with one hand on the big conference table, leaning over to see what I wrote. I had to fight very hard to ignore the closeness between us. Since when do I care? Today, apparently. I should be admitted into St. Mungos.

By the time we got through with making copies of each house's designated password, the prefects had started to file into the compartment. I looked over at the door just as my former Gryffindor prefect walked in.

"Remus!" I squealed and ran over to give him a hug. Note to self: squealing bad.

He hugged me back. "Hey Lily. How was your summer?"

"Well, other than the fact that if I ever hear the words wedding or Vernon Dursley ever again, I just might crack, it was okay. Nothing too exciting."

"That bad, huh?"

"Actually, worse. I'm scarred for life and I've developed a fear of weddings. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to marry anyone. But, enough about me. How was your summer?"

"Eh. Okay. Nothing special."

"Well, it was good to talk to you. I think the last prefects just arrived. We'll get started with the meeting soon."

"Okay, Lily. It was nice to see you." With that, he went to sit down and wait for the meeting to begin.

While the prefects were chatting amongst themselves, I turned to the Head Boy. "James, are you ready to start?" Wait. Hold on. JAMES?!? Did I just call him James? To his face? It's one thing for him to call me Lily, but for me to call him James and not Potter…For the love of Pete, I can't take much more of this Twilight Zone nonsense. Maybe he didn't notice.

He raised an eyebrow at me, his eyes full of laughter. Damn it. He noticed. Surprisingly though, he didn't say anything and just went on like nothing even slightly out of the ordinary happened.

"Yeah, that's fine. I guess we should just introduce ourselves and then you can do your bit and I'll do mine and then we can make sure that everyone understands their patrol schedule for the train and school."

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'm impressed. "Sounds like a plan. Let's get started."

I turned to the group of students seated around the large conference table.

"Hello, everyone." They all continued talking.

"OY! Listen up, you lot," James nearly shouted.

Everyone instantly became quiet. Stupid git. Thinks he's so good…

"Yes, well, hello everyone. Welcome back and congratulations on your positions. It's a great honor to be chosen to represent your house. I hope you all had a wonderful summer. My name is Lily Evans and I'm Head Girl this year. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

As I introduced myself there was a whisper of something about 'mudblood Head Girl' from the Slytherin section of the table.

"Zabini, if you have a problem with the Head Girl, you can take it up with me. And, if I ever hear you so much as mutter that word ever again, I will personally see to it that you are removed from your position and put into one of the worst detentions imaginable for as long as I can manage. Do I make myself clear?"

Zabini just glared at James for a moment before mumbling "yes".

James turned back to the other prefects, "Hey guys. I'm James Potter, this year's Head Boy. I, too, am almost always available, if you need anything. Just do me a favor and don't bother me during quidditch practice unless it's an emergency."

"Alright, our first order of business is discussing your duties as a prefect. Returning prefects, bear with me for a moment. I know it's your second or third time to hear this, but I'll try to make it quick. You will need to patrol the halls once or twice a week, depending on the week. James and I are in charge of planning different events; we will need your help to carry them out. You are allowed to give out punishments, but be warned, do _not_ take advantage of this privilege. (I gave James a pointed look before continuing) You are not allowed to take or award points. You represent your house, just as James and I represent your school. Do not take your duties lightly. I think that's about it. If I think of anything else, I'll make sure to bring it up at the next meeting," I finished up.

"I have given you each a piece of parchment with your house password on it. The password will be changed once a month throughout the year. If, for some reason, you need to change your password before we would have changed it, please inform Lily of I and we will assign you a new password. Please leave the pieces of parchment with the passwords on them on the table. If you have no questions about your patrolling schedule and Lily has nothing else to add, you are free to go."

They all turned their heads in unison to look at me. Creepy.

"You may go," I said answering their unasked question.

They all filed out and Remus was amongst the last to leave. "Bye James. I'll see you in a minute. Bye Lily. I'll see you later," he said before walking out.

James walked around the table and picked up the sheets of paper that had been left on the table.

I walked back into the Head's compartment and picked up an Acid Pop, from the table, and started to eat it, when James walked back in.

There was an awkward silence for a minute. James was the first to speak.

"Well, that went very well."

"Yes, it did."

"Hey, Lily, thanks for giving me a chance. I realize that it would be the understatement of the century to say that we haven't gotten along in the past, but since we are going to be working together all year, do you think we could keep up this civil behavior? It was kind of nice to be in the same room as you without being yelled at."

I chuckled inwardly. "I suppose if you can keep up this behavior, then I can manage to act civilly towards you," I said coolly.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go change into my school robes and find my friends," I informed him.

He simply nodded his head.

I walked to my trunk and got my robes, before heading out of the compartment.

As I reached the doorway, I stopped. Am I really about to say this? Oh, what the hell. It was now or never and this day had proved to be anything but normal.

I turned around slowly, "Oh, and James," he looked up from what he was doing. "Good job today."

He just grinned that stupid grin of his before saying thanks.

"Please don't make me regret telling you that." Oh God, did I just sound flirtatious?

And then, without waiting for an answer, I walked out of the compartment.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Okay. It's official. Hell has frozen over," I said as I plopped into a seat next to Adriana.

"Lily, would you care to explain what the bloody hell you're talking about," Alyssa exclaimed as I heaved a big sigh and rubbed my temples.

"Well, (1) Dumbledore appointed Potter as Head Boy. (2)What's even stranger, he was acting mature and responsible, two things I was not aware he was even remotely capable of. (3) We didn't argue once today. We got through the entire hour and a half and not once did either of us raise our voice. (4) I _complimented _him and then told him to not make me regret saying it, but instead of sounding threatening, I sounded, dare I say it…flirtatious. And the only explanation I can come up with is that hell has frozen over. Either that, or I've gone and landed myself in the Twilight Zone, unbeknownst to me."

"Oh, and I almost forgot. He called me Lily and I called him James. It just slipped. It's always been Potter and Evans, nothing else. Oh, this is all just too much. I can't take this anymore."

I looked up and they were all wearing matching smirks. "Why are you all smirking?!? This is not funny."

"Lily, slow down. Breath. It's going to be okay."

"Kelly, how can you be so calm? Nothing about this is oka---."

"Ay, Dios mio," I heard Adriana sigh under her breath, while shaking her head, as I went off again.

"Lily, you will kill yourself from a lack of oxygen, if you go off on another rant," Alyssa cut me off.

I took another deep breath as Adriana started to speak.

"Lils, do you think, as weird as this all is that maybe you're over reacting just a little?"

"No, but can we not talk about this anymore right now? I'm getting a headache. Kel, I want to hear more about Italy…"

We caught up on what we did over the summer for a good portion of the trip and eventually changed into our school uniforms and robes. Towards the end of the trip, the compartment door slid open.

"Mudbloods, half-bloods, and blood traitors, oh my!" Carla Frazer, a Slytherin and fellow seventh year, said in a sneering, sing song voice as she stood in the doorway.

"Oh look girls; it's the wicked witch of the west," Adriana piped up.

"Tell me, Frazer, where's your clan of flying monkies?" I asked, referring to Bellatrix Black and Erin Stahl, her usual cronies.

Alyssa just looked at her bottle of water questioningly for a minute, stood up, walked over and proceeded to empty the contents onto Carla's head. Alyssa was always the most daring of the group.

"Damn. It didn't work," Alyssa muttered. We all tried to hold in our hysterics, to no avail.

Frazer looked livid, to say the very least.

"WHY YOU LITTLE---" Frazer screeched as she drew her wand.

Sensing what was about to happen, I quickly drew my wand and disarmed Frazer before she could even think about casting a hex. I'm not going to lie; I'm pretty pleased with my quick reflexes right now. Note to self: do a happy dance later, when no one's watching.

"Ten points from Slytherin for trying to cause harm to another student, five points from Gryffindor for instigating a fight (the girls widened at the second part of my statement)," I said very seriously. "Frazer, you can pick up your wand from Professor Slughorn after the feast."

I swear to Merlin it looked as if steam was literally pouring out of her ears. "YOU ALL THINK YOU'RE SO CLEVER, DON'T YOU? WELL WE'LL SEE WHO'S LAUGHING IN THE END."

And then she proceeded to stalk away from the compartment, dripping the whole way.

"Come on, Lily. Did you really have to take points off from Gryffindor?"

"I can't exactly play favorites. I have to be fair, even if it is Slytherin."

"Of course you can play favorites, Lily," Adriana protested. "It's one of the perks that comes with the job. I'm sure it's in the handbook or something. Look it up," she said flippantly. I proceeded to ignore her comment and roll my eyes.

I was saved from giving further comments by Kelly. "Do you think Frazer was being serious or was her last comment just an open threat?" I had actually been wondering that myself.

"All I know is that the whole lot of that house is mental," I said, in response to her question.

"Do mine ears deceive me? Miss Lily Evans, Head Girl extraordinaire, insulting Slytherins? I've never been so proud in all my days," a voice came from the doorway.

"Oh, shove it, Potter." Again with the flirty voice. I must be ill. Yes, that's it. I should really go see Madame Pomphrey after the feast.

"So, who drenched Frazer in water?" he asked.

"I was merely seeing if she would melt," Alyssa defended herself.

He clearly didn't get the reference, but brushed it off.

"Sorry to bother you ladies, but I need to steal Lily to patrol the last hour."

"Oh, it's time already? That was quick. Okay, girls, I'll see you at the feast. We have to help everyone get on the carriages and what not."

"Alright," Kelly said. "Bye Lily, bye James."

We both simultaneously said our goodbyes to everyone and then walked out to patrol.

The next hour was pretty uneventful. James and I merely walked the corridors, talking about our summers and catching a couple of students with dungbombs. I was on the verge of suffering from a brain aneurism, because I kept mentally freaking out about the fact that I was carrying on a normal conversation with the infamous James Potter and actually _enjoying_ myself. I know, right? Maybe I should skip the feast all together and go see Madame Pomphrey right away. I must be _really_ ill. And, you know what else I just realized? He hasn't asked me out once today. It's kind of nice, but at the same time, it kind of feels like the balance of the universe has been thrown off. You know what I mean?

"Lily?"

"Huh?" Apparently James had been trying to get my attention, while I was off pondering the questions of the universe.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Fine. Why?"

"Well, I've been trying to get your attention for the past minute and a half. The train is starting to slow down. Should we go get our stuff?"

"Oh, sorry. Yean, I guess we should."

I followed him back to the Heads' compartment where I picked up Tess's cage and my trunk.

"Ready?" James asked.

I nodded my head.

He picked up his owl, Calypso's, cage and his trunk and followed me out of the compartment.

The train came to a stop and we got off to help all the other students find carriages.

"Four students to a carriage," I called out.

"Lily, I'm going to go put my stuff on the Heads' carriage. Do you want me to take yours when I'm done?"

When had he become so thoughtful? I know you're tired of hearing this, but that's just too bad. THIS DAY HAS BEEN ENTIRELY TOO WEIRD! Okay, now that I've gotten that off my chest for about the five thousandth time today…

"Um…that's okay. Go ahead and I'll take mine when you get back."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It's fine. Now, go."

"If you're sure…" With that, he left to take his things.

Once he got back I took my things to our carriage and returned to help James find carriages for the few remaining students.

Once all the students were in a carriage and safely on their way to the castle, James and I got onto our carriage and followed suit.

We entered the Great Hall and went our separate ways to find our respective group of friends.

I found the girls sitting at the Gryffindor table and headed down the table to sit with them.

"Hey, girls. Miss me?"

"Of course," they answered in unison.

"When three friends can speak in unison, I think it's a sign that they spend _way_ too much time together," I laughed, as I took my seat.

Just then, the infamous group, known as the Marauders, consisting of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, walked up.

"Hello, ladies. Good summer?" they all said together.

"And my point is proven," I said looking at each of my friends in turn. It was then that I noticed that Kelly was blushing slightly. I raised an eyebrow at her, in a questioning fashion, but she wouldn't meet my eye.

"Pretty good," she answered still blushing. What was that all about? Oh well, I'll make sure to ask her later.

"Are these seats taken?" Remus questioned, indicating the group of seats next to us.

I smiled at him. He has always been my favorite of the Marauders, being the only practical one, up until recent events. Yeah, I'm choosing to ignore the fact that I just referred to James Potter as practical.

"No. Go ahead," I told him.

As the Marauders sat down, an envelope appeared on my previously empty plate.

"What's that?" the girls asked at once. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at them for talking in unison again.

"I'm not sure."

"Look, James got one, too," Sirius pointed out.

"James and I gave each other a questioning look, before turning back to our letters.

I quickly read it through. It was from Professor Dumbledore telling me, as well as James, to come to his office after the feast.

"What's it say?" Adriana asked me at the same time Sirius asked James.

"We have to go see Dumbledore after the feast."

"Ah."

"Yup."

"At that point, Dumbledore stood up to speak and the entire Hall went silent, at the raise of his hand. Wow. Now that, my friend, is what I call power…and a lot of it.

"Welcome back, everyone. Now, let's get the sorting ceremony started so that we can all eat, because I'm sure that you are all hungry from your long journey."

Just then, the line of first years walked into the Hall behind Professor McGonagall who was carrying a stool and the Sorting Hat.

They all looked so terrified. Not that I have any room to talk. I almost feinted, while standing in line because I was so scared. I really thought that The Hat was going to tell me that I didn't belong at the school and then I'd just have to turn around and go home. It also didn't help that a certain raven haired prat told me that I'd have to battle a dragon, prior to learning about the aforementioned Hat.

"Zimmerman, Rachel."

"RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat called out.

Oh wow. The sorting ceremony was already over. I guess my little trip down memory lane was longer than I thought.

"Congratulations on making it into your new house. Now, let the feast begin," Dumbledore's voice rang throughout the hall.

About an hour and a half later, after thoroughly stuffing our faces, Dumbledore rose to speak again.

Now that we have all been fed, I have a few quick announcements. First of all, I would like to introduce to you this year's Head Girl, Miss Lily Evans, and this year's Head Boy, James Potter." We both stood upon our name being called. "If any of you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask either of them. Next order of business: The Forbidden Forest is named just that for a reason; it's forbidden. Lastly, Mr. Filch would like me to remind you that magic is not permitted in the hallways and there is a very long list of forbidden items on Mr. Filch's door that you may check at your own time. I shall not bother you with an old man's rambling any longer. Off to bed with you. First years, please follow your house prefects to your dorm. Goodnight."

James and I said goodbye to our friends and held back to wait for everyone to leave, before heading to Dumbledore's office.

When we reached the stone gargoyle, James gave it the password and we both stepped onto the moving staircase that led to the Headmaster's office. When we reached the top, the large wooden door opened on its own.

"Ah. Miss Evans, Mr. Potter, it's good to see you. Congratulations on your positions. I trust you had a good summer."

"Yes, thank you, sir."

"As always, thanks."

"Very good. I just wanted to congratulate you, before showing you to the Heads' Dorm."

"There's a Heads' Dorm?" I asked stupidly.

Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "Yes, Miss Evans. Now, come along," he said kindly.

We followed Dumbledore through the castle until we reached a portrait of the Knights of the Round Table.

"Here's the entrance to your dorm. The password is gillyweed. Goodnight"

The portrait had swung open when Dumbledore had said the password, so James and I stepped in. I let out a small gasp when I saw the room. It was absolutely beautiful. A small hallway separated the entrance from the common room, which had two sofas and a few armchairs. All the furniture was made of deep rich wood and the entire room was decorated in warm tones or crimson and gold. On either side of the fire place, along the back wall, there were large windows and doors that led out to a balcony. On the left side of the room there was a staircase that led to my private dorm and on the right side was a staircase that led to James'.

I walk up the staircase to my dorm and opened to my room. The walls were a burnt red orange color with white trim. On the walls were black, floating shelves holding pictures, of me with my friends and family, and small votive candles. The wrought iron, canopy bed had white sheers hanging in the corners and there were fairy lights that looked like small paper lanterns strung around the top. The bedspread was a quilt that was brightly colored and striped. There was a cushioned bay seat along the window with a couple pillows and more white sheers hanging from it. In the corner was an armchair and along the wall was a desk with a Woodstock poster hanging, framed, above it. This is the room of my dreams. I don't know how they got it so perfect, but they did.

I walked over to the door that led to the bathroom that James and I shared and walked inside. It was massive. No two people could possibly need this much space. There was a large tub in the center, two showers at the back, as well as two toilets, and a double sink with a large mirror hanging above it, along one wall. I walked over to the door opposite of mine and knocked.

"Come in," James called.

I opened the door and peered inside. The set up was similar to mine, except he had a rich wooden four poster bed and the crimson and gold theme continued into his room. He also had photos of his family and friends all over the walls, as well as several Quidditch posters.

"Hey," he said as I entered his room.

"Hi. How do you like your room?"

"I love it. Do you like yours?"

"It's great. Well, I just came to say goodnight. So, goodnight," I finished somewhat lamely. Okay, so it was really lame. Whatever.

"G'night, Lily. See you tomorrow," he said though some chuckling at my awkwardness, I'm sure.

With that, I left his room, went back to mine, and fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

**A/N: Yay! Another chapter. I'm not totally thrilled, but I think it'll do. I hope you guys enjoyed. Please, please review. There were something like 24 hits on my last chapter and only 2 reviews. How about we go for 5 this time? That doesn't seem like too much to ask, now does it.**


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